Picturesque Whitby harbour lies at the mouth of the River Esk in North Yorkshire. in the heart of a town famous for Whitby Jet, Captain Cook and Count Dracula. Excursion boats, including a replica of Captain Cook’s Endeavour provide regular opportunities to admire the spectacular North Yorkshire coastline from the sea.
The old cobbled streets, in the historic old town, have a wide selection of small shops offering local crafts, maritime memorabilia and antiques. There is an unparalleled selection of Whitby Jet jewellery, a black gemstone dating back to the Jurassic period, only found on the local coastline.
From the old town, one hundred and ninety nine steps lead up to the East Cliff where the ruins of the 13th century St Hilda’s Abbey, which dominate the local skyline, stand. The East Cliff and St Mary’s Church, on the hill near the Abbey, are locations in Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula. Stoker stayed in the town’s Royal Hotel while writing the book.
High on the West Cliff, looking out to sea, stands a statue of Whitby’s most famous son, James Cook. Down in the town, near the harbour, The Captain Cook Memorial Museum is in the 17th century house Cook lodged as apprentice and trained as a seaman. In the town, local seafaring traditions are still evident with historic smugglers inns standing alongside award winning seafood cafes.
The area around Whitby has much to offer visitors. The National Trustpreserves much of the local coastline, which has spectacular views, excellent walks and provides the chance to visit old fishing villages. Information is available at the Coastal Centre at Ravenscar. Three miles up the coast from Ravenscar, at Robin Hood’s Bay, the Old Coastguard Centre is open to visitors. Scarborough, the largest seaside resort on the Yorkshire Coast, is less than twenty miles to the south..
Travelling inland, an hours drive across the North York Moors National Park will bring you to York. Here you can visit York Minster, the National Railway Museum, the Jorvik Museum the Castle Museum and much more.
The National Park is an area of 554 square miles stretching from Helmsley and Pickering in the south to Staithes in the north. The moors can be seen from the North York Moors Railway, an eighteen mile steam hauled ride from Pickering to Grosmont, with some trains running through to Whitby.
There are many other excellent places to visit within easy reach of Whitby including Helmsley Castle, Nunnington Hall, Eden Camp, Flamingo Land and Castle Howard.
